Refrigeration systems are generally utilized to adjust the temperature within a certain area. In the case of air conditioner units, one or more units may operate to adjust the temperature within structures such as dwellings and office buildings. In particular, one-unit type room air conditioner units may be utilized to adjust the temperature in, for example, a single room or group of rooms of a structure. Such air conditioner units may include, for instance, a sealed system to cool or heat the room. The sealed system may include a compressor, one or more heat exchangers, and an expansion device.
Expansion devices are used in sealed systems to permit the controlled expansion of a refrigerant, e.g., to lower its temperature before passing through an evaporator to provide a cooling effect. Notably, the expansion devices used within a given sealed system must be carefully selected to properly regulate the flow of refrigerant and improve system performance. As a result, manufacturers that make different models of air conditioner units using the same general platform often use different copper capillary tube assemblies in order to manage the different capacity requirements of each model. Thus, additional design for system compatibility must be performed and supply chain maintenance is complicated because the manufacturer must procure, store, and install many different types and sizes of expansion devices.
Accordingly, a versatile expansion device that may be used in multiple air conditioner units would be useful. More specifically, an expansion device that may be used in sealed systems having various capacities and which is easy to install and configure would be particularly beneficial.